Fans slam ‘irresponsible’ Amy Childs for Instagram post saying she wants to wean four-month-old daughter Polly onto solid food early
AMY Childs fans have slammed the star for saying she wants to wean her four-month-old baby on to solid food early.
The former Towie star, 27, announced on Instagram she was going to start feeding baby Polly rice, despite admitting "she is so small to be having baby rice".
In the post, Amy claims a lot of new mums told her not to wait six months to wean her tot, but the NHS advises six months as the minimum age for weaning.
This is because a baby's digestive system is not developed enough to cope with solid foods.
Posting a snap of her Aptamil products, Amy wrote: "Ok girls so here goes !!! Can't believe Polly is now 4 months 😫where does the time go...
"Right so I'm going to put Polly on baby rice, she seems to be getting so hungry. I was feeding her every 4 hours and now she is waking up in between wanting more food!
"I don't no why but I still think she is so small to be having baby rice but I'm going to give it a try as there now say to put them on rice at 4 months (a lot of new mums told me not to wait until there 6 months).
"Polly is a very hungry baby 👶🏻 , was any other mums nervous weening ?? I sure am 🙋🏼 will let you no how I get on 🙊."
Immediately, worried mums began commenting on Amy's pic, with one blasting: "The amount of f***ing stupid on this post.
"As an influential person, [you] should not be promoting early weaning, end of. Guidelines are there for a reason.
"Mumma doesn't know best over health professionals. Absolutely irresponsible."
Another agreed, writing: "So irresponsible to even consider giving your child baby rice at her age, it basically has no nutritional value whatsoever.
"Rice also contains naturally occurring arsenic!"
A third chimed in with: "Mum knows best 😂😂😂 f***ing hell, you all got X-ray vision into your child's gut? Mum doesn't know best, science and research knows best."
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Other commenters pointed out that breast milk provides all the nutrients a child needs until six months, though some did support Amy's right to choose what she does as a mum.
The official NHS advice on weaning reads: "You should start giving your baby solid foods, often called weaning, when they are around six months old.
"Health experts agree that this is the best age. Before this, your baby's digestive system is not developed enough to cope with solid foods.
"If you're breastfeeding, feeding only breast milk up to around six months will give your baby extra protection against infection. Breastfeeding beyond six months alongside solid foods will continue to protect your baby for as long as you carry on."
Amy - who has already lost her baby weight, allegedly through a product she's been promoting online - is yet to respond to the backlash.
In July she returned from a post-birth holiday with Polly after splitting from her father Bradley Wright soon after her birth.
Then this month Amy headed to Ibiza with her tot, getting a babysitter to care for her while she partied.
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